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Names of some identifiable theaters, towns and country music stars have been edited to protect Josh from identifying Google searchs. CAPITALIZED NOUNS indicate my only edits to his posts.
Fans, who wish to track Josh's ongoing travels can read his previous entries here.
On The Road With Josh #6:
Fresh Hot Nuts
Hello All.
Okay, so you wanna know the funny thing about The South?....EVERYTHING is funny about The South. I don't hate The South anymore than it hates me, but I do have to high-light the sign that greeted me in the mullet of Alabama.
"Fresh Hot Nuts."
This says so much about the surrounding peoples, economy, and lifestyle. Short, to the point, and in abundance of immediately satisfactory satiation from self-sufficient land growth. It's also stinkin' cold everywhere down here. Also, if you look on a map, both Alabama and Missississipi look like two men with mullets, thus the reference. And really, there is nothing better than a little bit of business in the front, and a whole lot of party in the back....can I get an amen?
The last venue we were at changed my holier than though griping about this production and indeed this experience. I finally stopped being a realist and pragmatist and general asshole about how this isn't exciting and just a job when I saw the true influence the TOURING SHOW COMPANY has on other people. I'm now a believer...it's true, this whole thing is pretty cool, and all of you are right, and I'm just ashmoop. First, the Center for the Arts on the Okaloosa Walton College campus, near Niceville, Fla, is stunning. It is a roadhouse with all the trimmings and perks for The Diary of Anne Frank (apparently pronounced ah-nuhfrahnkuh....ew...) to the Broadway tour of The Producers. Everyone was competent, friendly, and the playing space is about as large as Lookingglass Theatre's playing space times 3. Fly system, wing space, electronic amazements that beep and boop, and they even have a bench for tech people to sit, smoke, and gab on out back on the LOADING DOCK AT STAGE LEVEL THAT IS LIKE A NATIONAL TREASURE OH MY GOD IT'S AWESOME GREAT THANKSSSSSSS TOP DOLLAR IMPORTANT CUSTOMER!
To hear 300+ kids go nuts at something that I am responsible for, and to see the townsfolk of Destin, Fla (where we moved to on our days off because they had a mall and multiple places to eat) was enough to make me believe that everything I do, everything the others involved with the production do, has a profound effect on the hearts and spirits of anyone. You say the NAME OF TOURING SHOW and you get an automatic hand shake or free coffee. Now, it's not like I have never felt this before, but it really took a while for me to get it from this experience. I've gotten so routinized with my job, that I've started doing ridiculous things with the time left like disinfecting every prop and hand-turched surface before each show, checking buttons to gauge when they might fall off, learning the difference between what these actors do when they're happy and sad when it comes to food, beverage, and other wants and needs. Seriously, I think I'm a little too into this and I probably look like the squirre, "Hammy" from Over the Hedge when I'm doing this stuff. Everyone makes fun of me for my Joshisms and focus, so know that this experience has not changed me and how I interact with others and how they interact with me. If they could, i think the tech crew would throw a cape over me, "james brown style" and gently escort me off into a wing to suck on codine. The coolest, and funniest moment that has made me a believer about the power of this experience came from Jamie, the guy at the front desk of the hotel in Destin. Here is my paraphrased version of what transpired:
Jamie: (hyper, wide eyed, skinny, white, hysterically and endearingly queer as a bedazzled may pole) Hey! Are you guys from the acting troop!? Huh?!
Us:....uh, yeah...
Jamie: (same as before) Wow, that's really cool because I'm an actor too and I mean I'm an amateur, but not really, but I mean I am and I have done some operas and stuff up in Augusta and they're really fun and a lot of them have cast me in the chorus but I mean I've done some lead stuff too and it's really fun and I got my start at disney world --
(at this point, we're thinking, "oh really, I had no idea, big surprise Jamie, what a shocker, no really.... I thought smelled a mouse on you..and oh look at all that magic dust all ethereal like around your aura....)
Jamie: -- and I mean I've done some parades and stuff just usually bouncing around as Peter Pan, yep, that's me, just bouncing around as Peter Pan and I mean so what is it you guys are doing in Florida?! Huh?!
Us: Well, we are touring a show from the (name of the big fuckin' theatre in our nation's capital.)
Jamie: Oh cool, where's that?! Do you have a website!?
Us: Uh, yeah, man, it's (web address for the big fuckin' theatre in our nation's capital.)
Jamie: Well cool, I mean fun, I should totally check that out. Are you gonna be performing around here?! Huh?!
Us: Well, we just did at OWC....
Jamie: Oh yeah, OWC, oh yeah, I know that, OWC.
Us: ...and then we have a show in Atlanta and Sarasota and Melbourne, FL.
Jamie: Well cool guys, well if you need anything, I mean anything, just let me know , 'cause I'll just be here most of the time, and I mean if you want some hot chocolate and coffee and anything, like towels, wash clothes, I mean anything just let me know.
Us: yeah, thanks so much.
Jamie: Oh it's not a problem. I'd love to do it!
(at this point we're thinking, "Yes Jamie....we know....)
Anyway, this kid is truly in love with theatre and wants so badly to keep doing theatre in any way. And wouldn't you know it, we really did have a nice hotel stay there because we had everything we needed because of the Jamie. Who knew?....who knew..... The first time I encountered Jamie was sitting in the lobby with the stage manager. We heard chanting. We turned around and Jamie was talking to himself and chanting Latin in the back. And then, abruptly, we heard a ding, and this rambunctious, high-pitched voice say, "Oooo! My cookies are done!!! They smell so good!!!" Laugh it up people, laugh it up.
Okay, I need to get going, but I'll write again soon.
Ciao,
Joshua
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